The Drum Beat 803 - Gender in Challenging Contexts

• 1.GPEI Gender Equality Strategy, 2019-2023
  This strategy aims to promote the integration of a gender perspective into different aspects of the GPEI's programming, to support countries in addressing gender-related barriers to polio vaccination, and to increase women's meaningful participation in the polio programme. The reader learns, for example, that, in contexts where having an open conversation with a male health worker is not possible, it is imperative that female frontline workers are available to speak to women and deliver health services. (The Female Community Volunteers initiative, re-initiated in areas of super-high-risk union councils in Pakistan in 2014, has shown how an increase in female frontline workers' participation brings about better results for polio eradication.) [May 2019]
   
• 2.The Influence of Gender Dynamics on Polio Eradication Efforts at the Community, Workplace, and Organizational Level
  by Anna Kalbarczyk, Aditi Rao, Adedamola Adebayo, et al.This paper describes the role of gender power relations in the GPEI across global, national, subnational, and frontline levels to offer lessons learned for other global programmes. One suggestion: Appropriately engaging men in polio vaccination programmes can help to dispel the belief that vaccination is a women's issue and ensure that boys and girls are both vaccinated. Likewise, involving male partners when women are being recruited and trained as polio workers can ease tensions that may result as a result of women's involvement in the workforce. [Jun 2021]
   
• 3.Pro-Equity Immunization and Health Systems Strengthening Strategies in Select Gavi-Supported Countries
  by Ibrahim Dadari, Ariel Higgins-Steele, Alyssa Sharkey, Danielle Charlet, ASM Shahabuddin, Robin Nandy, and Debra JacksonParticularly in developing countries, millions of children are missing out on essential vaccines due to factors such as poverty, ethnicity, gender, remoteness, and conflicts. Thirteen Gavi-supported countries were purposively selected for this United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) mapping of health-systems-oriented strategies. Among the pro-equity strategies: Pursue gender-transformative approaches. For example: Kenya adopted a strategy appealing to fathers to participate in immunisation, and Uganda reached out to men specifically through mobilisation, health education, and participatory guidance, thus empowering them to support their families in immunisation uptake and demand generation. [Mar 2021]
   
• 4.Reducing the Gender-Related Immunization Gap in Two Districts of Mopti Region in Mali
  by Lazare Coulibaly, Aboubakar Dokan Kone, Aba Dorintie, et al.In Mopti, Mali, hesitancy and negative beliefs about vaccination have reduced access to vaccination, especially for girls. In response, the Ministry of Health and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Applying Science to Strengthen and Improve Systems (ASSIST) project combined facility-based efforts with increased community involvement to promote girls' access to immunisation services. A regional pool of improvement coaches was trained to carry out communication activities, such as group discussions at the village level to emphasise vaccine safety and to address rumours. As a result, the gap between male and female infants decreased from 23% in October 2016 to 9% in August 2017, and the percentage of infants completing all vaccinations increased from 41% to 83% for males and from 18% to 74% for females. [Nov 2017]
   
• 5.Immunization and Gender: A Practical Guide to Integrate a Gender Lens into Immunization Programmes
  The UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia prepared this practical guide to help health professionals integrate a gender lens in immunisation programmes by identifying how gender norms, roles, and relations affect health-related behaviours, outcomes, and health sector responses. [Jul 2019]
   
• See also:
  * Global Polio Eradication Initiative Technical Brief: Gender
  

• 6.Dignity and Humanitarian Action in Displacement
  by Irina Mosel and Kerrie HollowayFrom the Humanitarian Policy Group of the Overseas Development Institute, this report describes findings of a 2-year project to understand what dignity means to refugees, internally displaced people, and returnees, comparing their understanding with that of humanitarian workers in these responses. For example, "dignity kits" given to Rohingya women as they crossed the border included pieces of white cloth, "which no Rohingya wanted to wear because it resembled the kafan cloth used by Muslims for burial". One lesson: "transparency, clear targeting and face-to-face communication" are central to a dignified response. [Mar 2019]
   
• 7.The Effect of Gender Equality Programming on Humanitarian Outcomes
  This UN Women report presents a prototype Gender Intensity Measure that assesses the degree to which gender equality and women's empowerment have been integrated into humanitarian programmes, using inputs from the beneficiaries themselves. The intention is that, by showing where and how gender equality programming is working, the report can serve as an advocacy tool to give women a greater voice, both as providers and as beneficiaries of humanitarian action. [Apr 2015]
   
• 8.Gender Norms and Crisis
  In light of the fact that "policy responses to crises are often gender-blind, or treat women as a homogenous group", this annotated bibliography outlines studies published since 2010 that explore the effects - positive and negative - on gender norms of different types of crisis: health crises, economic crises, and conflict/displacement. [Jun 2020]
   
• 9.COVID-19 Response - Response in Conflict Affected Areas
  This COVID-19 Coordination Call, part of a weekly series, highlighted pandemic-related challenges in conflict zones and explored how CORE Group partners are creatively coping with these challenges. For example, in the Swahili Coast, Search for Common Ground facilitated collaboration with a multitude of partners across dividing lines to support conflict-sensitive responses. For example, as women are often left out of public information campaigns, Search ensured that radio programming is being broadcast at times appropriate to women. In order to overcome community distrust, especially among women, Search mobilised networks of local women to deliver messages. [May 2020]
   
• See also:
  * An Unequal Emergency: CARE's Rapid Gender Analysis of the Refugee and Migrant Crisis in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela
  * Gender Implications of COVID-19 Outbreaks in Development and Humanitarian Settings
  

• 10.Accommodating Religious Identity in Youth Peacebuilding Programs
  by Ariel Ehmer, Brianna Musselman, Sarah Mokadem, et al.This toolkit presents an overview of how Search for Common Ground programmes are designed to engage, respect, and accommodate young people's religious identities around the world. One section provides recommendations for incorporating gender sensitivities in religious peacebuilding. Educating young men on issues relating to gender and religion can help them become advocates for women's participation in the community and in leadership positions. A "note from the field" examines a pilot programme called "Naija Girls, Unite!", wherein Search staff reportedly found success when they worked specifically with young girls to help them build their knowledge, skills, and relationships with girls from other faiths. [May 2017]
   
• 11.Integrating GBV in WASH Toolkit: Lessons from Yemen
  by Najah Almugahed Especially in conflict situations, "ignoring the needs of women when designing WASH [water, sanitation, and hygiene] programmes can leave them at greater risk of GBV [gender-based violence]....Women and children become an easy target when they fetch water or use public toilets..." This toolkit, developed in Yemen by Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW), aims to enrich the knowledge base on GBV in WASH with theory and guidelines. For instance, local faith communities, including all ages and genders, as well as faith leaders, can be involved in GBV prevention, including breaking the silence around GBV using self and community reflection. Open discussion on root causes and negative impacts can support leaders in recognising how to use their power and privilege to further their support of women and girls, and should be guided by their input. [Dec 2016]
   
• 12.Working in Conflict: A Faith Based Toolkit for Islamic Relief
  by Lucy V. SalekIRW developed this toolkit based upon the principles and frameworks provided by Islam in the pursuit of peace and the transformation of conflict. Conflict mapping tools are included, with an emphasis on participatory approaches to understand the dynamics of disputes. For example, a gender and peace exercise can "include progressive thinking, leadership, role models and initiatives targeting men, for example men working in domestic settings." [Jan 2014]
   
• See also:
  * Partnering with Religious Communities for Children
  

REGISTER FOR A WEBINAR - FAITH LEADERS: ALLIES IN YOUTH AND WOMEN'S WELL-BEING

This September 27 2021 webinar will highlight the role of faith leaders as allies in promoting positive social norms for community engagement in the reproductive health and well-being of women and young people, as well as the importance of partnerships and coalitions in building transformative community dialogue to bring about positive change.

Jointly organised by the Passages Project (Institute for Reproductive Health, Georgetown University) and the PACE Project (Population Reference Bureau), the webinar will include French-English interpretation.

Click here to register for the free Zoom webinar.

• 13.Tackling Inequities in Immunization Outcomes in Conflict Contexts
  by Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele, Ruben Conner, Breese McIlvaine, Elizabeth Rowley, and Jeff BernsonDuring periods of conflict, vaccination rates tend to fall quickly. Considering that 40% of the 20 million unimmunised children in the world live in fragile or humanitarian settings, this is a matter of concern for the Equity Reference Group for Immunisation (ERG). The ERG looks at 6 primary challenges of maintaining immunisation services during conflict and identifies 6 categories of intervention, including community engagement. For instance, women can inform the vaccination planning process through women's fora and outreach via other community mechanisms, and mothers can play a role in the design of immunisation education materials, as communicating effectively with mothers requires materials that are tailored to the local context. [Dec 2018]
   
• 14.Approaches to Vaccination Among Populations in Areas of Conflict
  by Chimeremma Nnadi, Andrew Etsano, Belinda Uba, et al.This article examines tactics that led to increased polio vaccination coverage in Nigeria, Somalia, and Pakistan, looking at how they could be applied to other conflict settings across the world. For example, engagement in the form of advocacy with local traditional and religious leaders, information sharing with communities, the training of residents as vaccinators, and community mobilisation networks supported by community "gatekeepers" may help shed light on the felt needs of the communities and build trust. In northern Nigeria, the Volunteer Community Mobilizer programme, which recruited and trained local women as social mobilisers and vaccination workers, bolstered participation in house-to-house polio and other routine immunisation programmes, especially in security-compromised and hard-to-reach communities. [Jul 2017]
   
• 15.Experience of the Central African Republic (CAR) in Conducting Vaccination Campaigns in Insecure Areas
  Since May 2019, the CAR has faced an outbreak of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2. Given the hostile security situation in the country - particularly in the three response districts - several strategies were deployed, including social mobilisation. Among the stakeholders contributing to the campaign was the Organization of Central African Women, which fully participated in the campaign's development. For example, women social mobilisers, criers, and community supervisors were sought out; the choice of women as vaccination and mobilisation actors allowed access to certain households that cannot be accessed by men.
   
• See also:
  * Reflections on Polio Lessons from Conflict-affected Environments
  * The Multi-sectorial Emergency Response to a Cholera Outbreak in Internally Displaced Persons Camps in Borno State, Nigeria, 2017
  

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